About This Coffee
Back in 1870, Fabio Morán and Epifanio Silva set out to conquer a rugged territory in the Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range. They established La Siberia, finding parallels in Siberia’s extreme weather conditions and difficult accessibility. The property was later inherited by Rafael Silva, who has continued improving the farm ever since. Rafael’s dedication, combined with the ideal growing conditions of the Apaneca-Ilamatepec Mountain Range, results in coffees of exceptional quality. In fact, La Siberia and the team behind it have multiple Cup of Excellence awards under their belt. Well-deserved.
This lot is 100% Batian, a highly resistant variety that was originally developed by Kenya's Coffee Research Institute in 2010. In 2019 the team at Siberia planted 1 hectare of these coffee trees close to the main storage house as an experiment. In their own words it “blew their minds.” We agree! And the Double Anaerobic fermentation employed here ups the game even further.
Expressive in both aroma and flavor, with winey tropical fruit notes, this lot promises a truly memorable cup.
Cultivation
La Siberia cultivates a wide range of varieties, including Bourbon, Pacamara, SL-34 (another Kenya import!) and Geisha. Situated at elevations between 1,450 and 1,650 meters above sea level, the very same conditions that once inspired its name (fertile volcanic loam soils, high altitude and a cool climate) now form the optimal growing conditions for coffee. These conditions encourage cherries to mature more slowly, contributing to sweeter, denser beans.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
At La Siberia, Rafael is eager to come up with experimental processing methods like this double fermentation Anaerobic Natural. Cherries are first fermented anaerobically in airtight blue tanks and then aerobically in water to further enhance their already beautiful characteristics.
Following the first fermentation in tanks, cherries are placed in a separate tank and covered with water to ferment again.
After the second fermentation, the cherries are first laid on raised beds to skin dry, then brought to greenhouses, where they continue to dry for over 30 days, depending on the weather. During this stage, cherries are raked regularly to ensure even drying.
About Batian
Developed by Kenya's Coffee Research Institute in 2010, Batian is named after the highest peak on Mt. Kenya and is resistant to both coffee berry disease (CBD) and coffee leaf rust (CLR). The variety has the added benefit of early maturity – cropping after only two years. Some challenges (such as vegetative structure) have prevented it from becoming widespread so far, but its popularity is certainly growing.
Coffee in El Salvador
Don’t be fooled by El Salvador’s small size. It was once the 4th largest coffee producer worldwide and continues to produce high quality lots. The country is known for its great cupping varieties, such as Bourbon and Pacamara. In fact, two beloved, frequently high-scoring varieties—Pacas and Pacamara— originated in El Salvador.
Unlike other countries, where specialty coffee production has required a great deal of additional investment and training, El Salvador already has a broad and skilled specialty coffee workforce. Farming traditions run deep, and many Salvadorian farmers are extremely passionate about coffee production and continuously strive to improve their crop. El Salvador has optimal conditions for coffee processing. The prolonged dry season typically occurs during the harvest season, making it easier to sun dry coffee.
Though coffee output in the country has been declining for over two decades – exacerbated by the CLR crisis – the approach to coffee production has changed from volume- to quality-driven. A new generation of coffee producers has sprouted around the country with a new vision and approach to production. Many of this generation are experimenting with processing and varietals.